What does this cost in your state?
California is the costliest state and Arkansas the cheapest; each square shows that state's midpoint of the estimate.
Lower-cost states ($493)MiddleHigher-cost states ($628)
What it shows: CA is the highest at $628 and AR the lowest at $493, across 51 states.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 50,000-100,000 (38%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 50,000: 32% against 60%.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 6-9 years (38%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 22% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
239 owner complaints name this part.
Owners say the dealer could not fix or repeat the problem. If it comes back after a repair, ask what was tested before you pay again.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster leads at 40%.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
How serious did it get for owners?
Among the 239 owner complaints naming this part, fire is the outcome owners report most often.
What it shows: Fire reported is the largest at 11, followed by Towed at 5; the smallest shown is Crash reported at 3.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
Among the 239 owner complaints naming this part that state a model year, complaints cluster in a few model years instead of spreading evenly.
What it shows: 2017 is the largest at 63 (26%), followed by 2015 at 44 (18%); the smallest shown is 2024 at 2 (1%).
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 2 foreign recall campaigns that name blower motor with NHTSA since 2015 (matched by the filing text); the latest, from BMW of North America in 2019-06.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-06 | BMW of | 120 | Washington, DC 20590 RE: Foreign Safety / Non-Compliance Campaign � Blower Regulator 2006-2011 BMW X5 SAV / X6 SAC � Right-Hand Drive Dear Mr. |
| 2018-05 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 102 | Date: May 23, 2018 Foreign Safety Recall / Other Safety Campaign Report Subject: HVAC Blower Fan issue on certain Toyota vehicles 1. |
How many recalled cars are actually fixed, so should I check mine?
Across 4 NHTSA recalls that name blower motor filed 2015 to 2024, 59.0% of the 407,689 recalled vehicles had been repaired after 8 quarters, against 66.2% for all recalls, which leaves about 167,001 vehicles still carrying the defect.
What it shows: Ford 2020 is the largest at 90.1%, followed by Lincoln 2022 at 66.6%; the smallest shown is Gmc 2023 at 44.3%.
If this part was recalled, is the repair free?
Federal law (49 U.S.C. 30120) requires a maker to fix a recalled defect without charge for cars first bought within 15 calendar years (tires within 5), and NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for parts matched to a blower motor replacement since model year 2015, covering about 263,056 vehicles.
| Rule or count | What it says |
|---|---|
| Age limits | The free-remedy duty does not apply to a car first bought more than 15 calendar years, or a tire first bought more than 5 calendar years, before the recall notice. |
| Failure to fix | A repair not done adequately within 60 days of presentation is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time; the maker must then replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price less depreciation. |
| Free remedy | A maker must fix a recall defect without charge. |
| NHTSA recalls matched to a blower motor replacement since model year 2015 | 5 recall campaigns covering about 263,056 vehicles |
Is it recalled or covered?
| Recall number | Vehicles | Cars recalled | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22V-648 | Lincoln Navigator 2015–2017; Ford Expedition 2015–2017 | 198,482 | Front blower motor failure can increase the risk of a vehicle interior fire. |
| 25V-649 | KIA Sorento 2021–2023 | 39,536 | A fire increases the risk of injury. |
| 19V-726 | Ford Ranger 2019 | 17,965 | An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire. |
| 20V-137 | Ford Ranger 2019 | 5,384 | A resistive electrical short increases the risk of a fire. |
| 25V-430 | Jeep Grand Cherokee 2023; Jeep Grand Cherokee L 2023 | 1,689 | An inoperative windshield defrosting and defogging system may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. |
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan | Rogue 2021 | NTB22-023A | Jul 12, 2022 | Blower motor makes clicking noise due to snow intrusion This bulletin has been amended. |
| Mazda | CX-5 2017–2020; Mazda6 2017–2020 | 07-003-21-3825 | Sep 10, 2021 | Some vehicles may exhibit a squeaking noise from the blower motor while it is operating. |
| Acura | MDX 2019–2020 | BPaS03252021904 | Mar 25, 2021 | Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. |
| Honda | FIT 2015–2020 | A21-005 | Jan 18, 2021 | Service Bulletin - The blower motor makes excessive noise, runs slowly, or intermittently stops working. |
| RAM | 1500 2020–2021 | S2008000171 | Nov 6, 2020 | HVAC blower motor operates intermittently or changes. |
| Subaru | Impreza 2015–2016; Forester 2015–2018 and 3 more | 10-96-19 | Dec 13, 2019 | This bulletin announces availability of a new HVAC blower motor unit assemblies developed to address isolated concerns of the blower motor becoming inoperative. |
38 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Manufacturer warranty extensions naming this part (2)
| Maker | Vehicles | Date | Notice number | What the maker extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIA | K5 2021–2022 | Sep 17, 2024 | WTY037_TSB_R1 | HVAC blower motor fuse terminal damage causing inoperative. |
| Chevrolet | Malibu 2016 | Jun 13, 2022 | N192291600 | Hybrid battery cooling blower motor electrical connection. |
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
I took it in to the dealership for service and was told the passenger side blower motor was damaged and paid $400 to have that replaced.
Vehicle is at 53k miles and the blower motor already has failed.
On trips over 100 miles or 45 minutes the A/C will freeze over and the blower motor will go to reduced speed and not blow cold.
In april of this year at about 201,232 miles my front blower motor stopped working as I went to get it replaced, I noticed the same issued with the connector.
Check your car
Replacing a front cabin blower motor costs $225–$910 at a dealer billing $165/hr, or $160–$650 at an independent shop at $100/hr. Most of that spread comes from the 1 to 4 hours of labor. A rear second-row blower motor runs $215–$695 at a dealer.
Of the complaints owners filed, 32.2% (84 of the 261 complaints that named a model and year) involve a model year with a blower motor recall, led by recall 22V648000 (Lincoln Navigator 2015–2017; Ford Expedition 2015–2017).
Toyota Tacoma Blower Motor Complaints Arrive Early, Near 29,450 Miles
The Tacoma stands out for mileage, not complaint count. Its 12 complaints have a median of 29,450 miles, the lowest of any model with a reported median. The Tacoma also has 4 manufacturer service bulletins touching the blower motor and no recall. A 2017 Tacoma owner reported: "2017 Toyota Tacoma AC blower motor broken at 17,000 miles." (NHTSA complaint #11114001)
If your Tacoma's fan quits this early, ask the dealer whether one of those bulletins applies before you approve a paid repair.
Kia K5 and Hyundai Sonata Blower Motor Complaints Center on 2020-2022 Models
The K5 (15 complaints, peaking on 2021-2022) and the Sonata (12, peaking on 2020-2022) are the newest cars near the top of the list. Neither has a reported median mileage, so the data cannot say how early they fail. The recall for blower motor wiring that can cause a fire covers the 2021-2023 Kia Sorento, not the K5. K5 owners should not assume that recall repair applies to their car.
Blower Motor Complaints Split Evenly Below and Above 50,000 Miles
Owners reported 36% of failures under 50,000 miles and another 36% between 50,000 and 100,000. Only 5% came in above 150,000 miles. The 90th percentile is 137,415 miles, so a blower motor failure is not mainly a problem of very old cars. Among the worst model years, 2017 vehicles had a median of 71,456 miles and 2016 vehicles 59,000. An owner in that range whose fan is slowing or noisy fits the typical complaint pattern.
Blower Motor Front Unit at a Dealer Runs to $910; a Rear Unit Tops Out at $695
The same front job at an independent shop at $100/hr gives $160–$650.
The owner figures sit near the low end. A 2016 GMC Yukon Denali XL owner paid $377, and a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas owner paid $400. Owners of three-row SUVs like these should confirm which unit failed. The Atlas owner's repair was the passenger-side motor.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA recall file file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- CalcScrape calculator model scaled by BEA Regional Price Parities data from 2024
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall quarterly reports (basis of the Annual List of Recall Completion Rates) file downloaded 2026-10-05
- 49 U.S.C. 30120 (Remedies for defects and noncompliance), text via Cornell Legal Information Institute; NHTSA recall campaigns data from 2026
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Modeled: our estimate, not a quote. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause. Rule: a published legal rule, not a measurement; whether it covers a given repair depends on the car and the facts.
Owner complaints quoted
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($383–$435) on 2026-10-06: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of that range. Methodology